Alternative Medicine

Last night’s TV and a programme on BBC2 called Alternative Medicine. Granted it’s not the most imaginative name for a television programme but having now seen two of the first three episodes I’ve been impressed. The programme is presented by Kathy Sykes (Of BBC Rough Science fame) who brings a pretty open mind to the whole subject.

I missed the programme on acupuncture but caught the one on healing and last night’s programme about herbalism.

It seems quite appropriate that I should be watching the series right now as I’m in the middle of a course of homeopathy which is complementing the regular medication I’m receiving as a result of an operation on my knee. Whilst not entirely conclusive (because of the regular medications I’m also taking) the effect of the treatment I’m receiving at the hands of my homeopath has been remarkable. In the course of the past few days my bruising has all but disappeared, scars are healing substantially and a haematoma dispersed with the help of gentle massage.

Whilst not yet a complete convert the experience has been enough to whet my appetite to investigate other means of healing.

Whether “alternative” or “complementary” there is an enormous amount of evidence to substantiate the claims made for the various types of “medicine” the programme has investigated so far. I’ve no doubt that as the series progresses and Kathy investigates other methods that further proven cures will come to light.

For the most part we are all guilty of putting our faith blindly in the hands of our GP or hospital doctors. Most of us would no more consider the idea of consulting any other kind of practitioner than biting off our own leg in order to make us feel better. For years though before modern medicine was invented everybody relied on what we now consider to be alternative curative methods. The argument has often run that modern medicine is an advance on old methods but apart from being terribly dismissive this also fails to bear in mind the many advances that have been made in so called alternative methods.

Last nights TV programme highlighted a number of herbs that have now been scientifically proven to the same standards of typical pharmaceutical drugs. The likes of St John’s Wort, Devils Claw, Gingko and Saw Palmetto have all been proven effective in a variety of complaints.

I for one will be watching the remainder of the series with great interest. In the meantime if you want to find out more a good place to start might be the programmes own website.

http://www.open2.net/alternativemedicine/index.html

In the meantime I wish you good health.

Bye for now

Mikey